Lochlan Kelly Martin - A Story of his Home Water Birth

Wow! It's hard to believe that it's been 11 weeks and 4 days since this little man entered our world. What a joy he is, and it's hard to remember what life was like before he arrived. Time is flying, and he's growing so fast, so I thought I better share what I remember about his birth before I forget everything. So sit back and enjoy reading about my healing, positive birth experience.

It all began on Wednesday, September 24th. Mitch and I were winding down from another full day, sitting watching TV as usual. I remember feeling a "gas pain" and thinking, "Ooo, this is all too familiar." I told Mitch that I was pretty sure I had a contraction, and he just smiled an excited, happy smile. We finished our show and did our nightly routine of cleaning up and getting ready for bed. I had another couple of contractions but they were around 20 minutes apart so I knew I should try to get some sleep, despite the excitement. Thankfully I was able to get a decent night's sleep.

On Thursday morning, I wrote on facebook that Luke was a week late and born on a Thursday, and if the baby was born today he'd be a week late and born on a Thursday. Contractions were coming every 10 minutes while we were eating breakfast. Mitch asked me if he should stay home or go to work, and we decided that he'd go in and I'd call if I needed him.  I messaged my birth attendants  just to let them know what was going on and that I had a good feeling the baby was going to come that night.

 The rest of the day was quite nice; In the morning Luke played quietly with his blocks and cars, and read some stories. He watched Cars 2 (You all know how much I hate him getting too much screen time, but since I could barely walk do to SPD we were desperate), and we ate lunch together. Throughout the morning contractions continued to be steadily coming every 10 minutes. I kept waiting fr them to get closer together but they didn't. I felt like God was giving me time to enjoy my last few hours as a mommy of one.

Shortly after lunch my sister-in-law and nieces came over to visit and play with Luke for me. It was a gorgeous afternoon so they played outside and I watched them from the back deck, contractions ebbing and  flowing. It reminded me of the day before Luke was born... the girls came over to visit then too.  The  girls were excited to be playing with Luke and even more exited that they would be getting a new cousin soon.

Mitch got home about a half hour earlier than usual and it was like my body said, "Ok, your husband is home, it's OK to have labour speed up a bit'. Contractions were coming every 7 minutes at supper time and I again messaged my birth attendants to update them. Mitch did bathtime with Luke while I tried to keep calm and not overly excited. I sat on my bed, distracting myself on facebook, feeling the power of my body start to really take over.

By 9 o'clock that evening they were coming stronger and every 5 minutes. My brother-in-law came over and chatted while gently bounced/swayed on the exercise ball, and I laughed because he could barely tell I was in labour. After he left I called my birth attendants to say that it would probably be a late night for them, then I went to bed to try to get a little rest. Mitch had prepared the room nicely... he put two of Luke's playsilks over our dim lamps so the whole room had a rosy/red/orange glow to it. He also put the diffuser next to the side of my bed, with Gentle Baby in it. It was a very mellow, relaxing atmosphere.

Within 10 minutes of first laying down I started to get really shaky, and couldn't stop. I sighed thinking, "no rest for me tonight it seems". Luke woke up  and so I woke Mitch to go into his room to put him back down. I just kept shaking and couldn't get comfortable so I got up and started pacing/swaying in my room. I didn't understand why I was shaking... I never had that happen during labour with Luke, so I did what any modern labouring woman would do: googled it. Everything that I saw said something along the lines of "signs of active labour and transition". Well, I knew things had picked up, but I didn't think I was as advanced in my labour as I actually was.

I continued to sway, and pace, but just couldn't get comfortable. Jack was driving me crazy, following me around, right by my side, and pretty much getting in my way.  I decided to start filling the pool up because I had read countless stories of women finding relief in the water, and because Jack couldn't get at me in there.  I went to the bathroom again, and then got the hose out and started to screw on the attachment to the tap. I got the hose hooked up and in the pool but I didn't have a good seal and water was spraying everywhere from the tap. I quietly went to Luke's room and opened the door. I needed to let Mitch know I needed his help without waking Luke up.  Mitch had fallen asleep in there, but I was having some pretty hard contractions, and my SPD was still making it hard for me to maneuver so I talk-whispered "Mitch.... MITCH...." from the doorway. He got up and asked, "Is it time?" I told him I needed help with the hose/filling the pool. And he started to fix it. I was feeling pretty uncomfortable by now, and got in the pool when there was only a few inches of water in there.

When I told Mitch I wanted to have a homebirth, he agreed on one condition... that someone (a birth attendant) would be there. So, at this point of the labour he said, "Should I call?" I was pretty naive, and said, "No, no....." then thought that Mitch would be more at ease with them there, and decided to give him permission to call. He did,  then came in to check on me. I was kneeling and swaying in the pool, leaning my arms over the side and my head resting on the soft, blow-up side. Mitch went and put Jack in the garage so he'd be out of the way when the ladies arrived, then he came up to be an awesome, attentive hubby. It was a warm night, and I get really hot when I labour, so Mitch opened the windows for me and put a cold facecloth on my forehead.

Finally the pool was filled and Mitch went to turn of the water. I just couldn't get comfortable and was irritated by that when all of a sudden I got sweet, long-awaited relief... my water broke. I felt it pop, looked at the water around me, saw it was clear and thought, "HALLELUJAH". I remember saying to Mitch, "That feels SO much better!" I was kind of sitting/floating. That relief didn't last long though... contractions started coming harder, and I was worried that Mitch's one condition wasn't going to be fulfilled... that the ladies weren't going to make it because this baby was coming. I told Mitch, "I feel pushy pressure."

Another contraction came, and without any thought or effort my body started pushing. It was the most incredible and strangest feeling... I had no control over what my body was doing. I said, "Oh Miiiiitttcchhh..." because I felt bad that the baby was coming and the birth attendants hadn't arrived yet. A couple of minutes later they quietly appeared in the doorway. I saw Natalie peek in, smiling, followed by Virginia. I said, "He's coming." Natalie lightened the mood and said, "Ya think?!" I smiled and with the next contraction I could feel him crowning. I breathed. And with the next contraction Natalie said, "Laura reach down and feel your baby." Just as I did out came his head. I remember thinking how soft his head/hair felt. I also thought, "Hmm I think I re-tore a little" (I did, but not badly at all... just enough to heal the damage of being "repaired" from Luke's birth). Another breath and another contraction and out he came, into my awaiting hands. I settled back against the wall of the pool and brought him out of the water, and up to my chest, careful not to bring too much of his body out of the warmth of the water.

 He was finally here. Lochlan Kelly Martin, born September 25th, 2014 at 11:26 p.m. He didn't scream,  cry or wail. He simply cooed/squawked  one little sound to let me know he was ok. He was content, and happy to be earth-side.  I just kept saying, "He's so little!"  I was instantly in love.

We weren't in any rush to get out of the warm of the water.  A nice fall breeze was coming through the window over my shoulder.  I held him, and offered him my breast to see if he wanted to eat, but he wasn't in any rush and didn't latch.  After a few minutes Natalie and Virgina asked me where I wanted to birth the placenta.  We all agreed the water would be fine. I gave Lochlan to Mitch, and got into a low squat, and tried pushing. Nothing really happened so Virgina suggested I put a tiny bit of traction on the cord as I pushed. I did and out it came. Natalie held the bowl/placenta as Mitch and Lochlan made their way to the bed. Virginia helped me out of the pool and get dried off a little, then guided me to the bed as well. Mitch held Lochlan and I just stared in awe at what had just happened. 

The ladies went downstairs and left our little family for some bonding time. They made me some tea as well as a yummy oj/kombucha punch. About an hour or so after Lochlan was born Natalie helped us in the cord burning. I held and nursed him, as Mitch held one candle and Natalie held another. It was really nice to  have that time to just take it all in.... it was a peaceful way to detach Lochlan from the organ that sustained him for so long.

The ladies worked quietly, emptying out the pool, cleaning it and gathering up all the towels/laundry, all while Mitch and I and Lochlan were in a state of awe and bliss and bonding.  Such a HUGE difference from what I experienced in my "natural" hospital birth.  We called my Mom, and texted other family members, and then settled in to get some sleep.

Luke, who had slept through everything, woke up around 5:00 and Mitch went in to cuddle him back to sleep.... well Lochlan decided to test out his lungs a little bit then. I could hear Mitch say, "What's that?" And Luke kind of make his "Huh?" sound. Then Mitch said, "Lochlan is here!" Well, I could hear the little feet hop quickly out of bed, and run down the hall and into our room. He stopped at the side of the bed, with a gorgeous shy smile. Mitch picked him up and got into bed with him. Luke smiled, looked at Lochlan, and kissed him gently. I couldn't have asked for a better way for our family of 3 change to a family of 4. 

Mom came to visit first thing in the morning and arrived to see us all in bed, Mitch and Luke playing me and Lochlan some songs on the guitar, and singing quietly. She snapped this picture of our new family. I love it because it shows me just how happy and normal and truly natural birth at home was for us. We weighed Lochlan that morning... he was 8lbs 1oz, but we didn't bother measuring his head or his length.

Luke has adjusted amazingly well. He did stick a little bit closer to Mom the first couple of days, and crashed for a few naps with us as all the excitement and visitors tuckered him out. But overall, he loves being a big brother, and loves his "Yaka" (that's how he says Lochlan) so much. 

This birth experience was unbelievable. It was healing... healing wounds, both physical and emotional, that I didn't even know were there. It was all so calm, and peaceful, and dare I say it..... easy. It truly is how birth should be. I would never birth any other way again (if we ever had another). I love the way that Mitch describes it... he says that when I had Luke, he was proud and amazed at the warrior his wife was. But when Lochlan was born he was proud and amazed at the woman his wife was. 

We love you Lochlan, and we can't wait to watch you grow into the little person that you are going to be. You make us smile, and bring us a joy that we can't even put into words. Thank you for choosing to join our family. I thank God everyday for you.

35 weeks... Thoughts about my 2.4 year old baby.

Hard to believe that there's been a little life growing in me for 35 weeks now. It feels like yesterday that I had those first thoughts of "Hmmm. Something is different with me these days." Yet at the same time it feels like a lifetime since I peed on those sticks and hopefully, prayerfully, waited the agonizingly long 3 minutes to see the faintest lines appear, and the clincher "pregnant" show up on the digital test a week later. So much change and growth has happened since those cold January days.... not only for the baby, but for our whole family.

As I sit here writing (actually thumbing since I only have one hand free and I'm doing a post from my phone), I look down and see my boys... the two most precious gems I've ever been entrusted with. Luke has been struggling with the impending arrival of his little brother. He has been more clingy and needy of me over the past few weeks. There's a part of me that gets frustrated and impatient with his tantrums and the constant touching from him, but thankfully I am able to keep my emotions in check and realize that his feelings and concerns are not only real, but huge and overwhelming for him.  It's my job to teach him how to handle these feelings, and how to act when he feels like he's lost/loosing control.  It's my job to be his safe-place when his world is in turmoil. So  sometimes that means putting the million-and-a-half to-do's aside to be there for my son... my 2.5 year old baby. I realize that the days of being able to cuddle him and hold him through his naps are short lived, so I try my best to cherish the snuggles, the sweaty hair and smell of my sleepy headed, blind-haired, little man. 

Today's current view :)

2 days ago.

4 days ago.

 Last week.

Last week part 2 :)

Third Trimester Thoughts

*Deep Breathe* Ok so I am 33 weeks pregnant with this little man (currently karate chopping my insides with great intensity as I type), and it's finally starting to feel real.... I'm going to have another baby in my life soon. I'm going to be a mommy of two boys. Wow.

As the days to delivery day are winding down, I am starting to really get excited now. I spent the last two days doing laundry, taking out the big rubbermaid bins of Luke's old, out-grown clothes, and washing the itty bitty sleepers and onesies that were so significant 28 months ago. Seeing them hanging on the line, I forgot how tiny my rambunctious toddler was *tear*.  Folding the teeny tiny socks that are small enough to fit my cat, made me think back to the wrinkly little toes that once wore them. It's emotional... remembering, with fondness, the firsts with Luke, and anxiously awaiting a reliving of sorts with this little sprout.

And yet, I know there are still plenty of firsts to experience with both boys. Luke and I have been spending a lot of time in the baby's room these days. Luke has been adjusting to having some of his old stuff taken out of his room (a carpet, his dresser, some "babyish" stuffed animals, toys and books), and we have had a few melt-downs and, in turn, extra snuggles. But, once he's realized that he can still come into the baby's room and play with the old toys, and read the old books, he has been content. Meanwhile, again, I've been sorting through clothes and putting things away. I'm excited for the first time I get to see this little bump. I'm excited for the first time Luke meets his little brother. I'm excited for the first fluffy newborn bum (we only started cloth diapering when Luke was 4 months old). I'm excited for the first time I get to take both boys out for a walk... will Luke want to be carried like his baby brother? I'm excited to nurse again... yes I've enjoyed a few months break but now I miss it... I wonder will Luke want to nurse again too? I'm excited to see Mitch with his two boys for the first time. I'm excited for everything *sigh*.

Thanks, as always, for checking in and reading my random ramblings. These were simply today's third trimester thoughts and ponderings.

Life as a Stay At Home Mom .... not always easy.

Ever heard of the book "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good Day"? Oh my goodness, today was just one of those days. You know what I'm talking about don't you?! One of those days where nothings seems to go as planned; where you constantly take two steps forward and three steps backward; where you feel like a failure as a wife and as a mom. Today, the summer's heat, the hormones and exhaustion of being 31 weeks pregnant, the patience-testing actions of rambunctious, strong-willed toddler, all compiled into one heaping blow to this stay-at-home-momma's ego. I'm not one to complain, most of the time. But today's blog-post is simply a chance for me to vent. Feel free to leave now, or  read on at your own risk and see exactly what made my day so rough.

My day started out pretty good, with sleeping-in to a whopping 6:40!  But then it all seemed to go downhill from there. The morning was filled with potty mishaps. Luke has been day-trained for nearly a month now, with very few accidents. But he made up for that today! Luke pooped in his nighttime diaper  first thing this morning, and it was messy and stinky and since we use cloth diapers required nearly 5 full minutes of work. Not fun!

Then we headed downstairs to really get the day going, and get breakfast and Mitch's lunch ready. Of course we ran out of my favourite kind of cereal so I had to mix kinds in order to get a full bowl--- yes I know I'm whining, but I'm allowed..... first world problems. Oh, and I put too much fruit in the blender for the smoothie so I had to keep stopping it and stirring it because I ran out of room for more liquid. Yes I realize this is a minor disturbance but it still was just another thing to add to today's list of complaints.

After Mitch left for work, Luke and I went and read some stories on the couch, and he promptly got up and ran over to the potty and, for the first time ever, pulled his own underwear down to use the potty! Victory!!! Well, he had another gross poop, and when he poops I've been letting him watch "TV" on my ipad so that he gets distracted and it's not such a scary thing to poop on the potty. Well, he was watching, and refused to get up for me to wipe his bum and clean the potty. He just wanted to sit there and said more poop was coming.... well here set in the mommy guilt of allowing my toddler to watch too much TV first thing in the day (more on this topic in a future post).

After the potty fiasco we went back to reading stories on the couch. Luke must have been so enthralled in my riveting story-telling skills that he forget to go to the potty to pee.... and ended up peeing all over himself, the couch and my leg. So, an extra load of laundry had to be done on top of the other 6 that were waiting for me in the laundry room.

Well, it wasn't long after I got that sorted out, that it was time for Luke's nap. Naturally, he didn't want to nap today (he normally naps for 2-3 hours everyday). He was in surprisingly good spirits and after our routine of reading two stories, he simply talked and played with is favourite stuffed animal, "Soup" the monkey, while I laid beside him. I dozed off, but awoke to hearing Luke grunting beside me. I asked him if he needed to go to the potty and he said, "No Wuke go in diaper". So up I got and ran him over to the potty, taking off his diaper getting poop all over the floor. He sat down and finished then up he got with a messy but and ran into the office. Thankfully he didn't smear it anywhere in there, and I was able to clean up the mess in the bathroom efficiently. But it was not a fun way for me to wake up. Oh and Luke was wide awake and wild and was making it clear that there was no way in heck he was going to sleep today.  So, naturally, this made me a little cranky.... this momma needs her break each day.

I decided to tackle the laundry, and had the majority of it folded and ready to be carted upstairs to be put away when Luke decided he needed to unfold everything a make a pretend "motorcycle" with every last piece of clothing. So there was a good 40 minutes  of time and energy wasted.

Next was vacuuming, I vacuumed the entire main floor very thoroughly --- trying to get every last crumb, speck of dirt, and piece of cat and dog hair. And I followed that up with tidying up the kitchen counters, table, desk, etc. I was feeling somewhat accomplished after that. Of course that didn't last. Luke insisted on helping me make pizza for supper and proceeded to dump flour everywhere. Then get down and run through it and track it through the kitchen right into the living room and his "motorcycle" of clean laundry. So all of that hard work spent on trying to "keep house" was for not. Oh and to top it all off, when I leaned down to start wiping up the flour I ended up aggravating an old injury from my University Volleyball days and have a very sore back at the moment --- normally I'd treat it with my trusty Wintergreen Essential Oil, but of course it's not recommended to use while you're pregnant.

I am happy to be "done" being mom and wife for the day. It's time for me to take a little "me" time, and get some school work done. I'm sitting here enjoying a "cold one" (don't worry it's just rootbeer) and some dark chocolate covered almonds.  Here's a toast to all of my fellow stay-at-home-mommas... no one said it would be easy, no one said we wouldn't make mistakes, and sometimes we have days that cause us to wonder "Would my child be better off at daycare?", but at the end of the day I can sit back and say, I wouldn't give it up for the world.... but give me a few good days before the next terrible, horrible, no good one please!

Oh how I love babywearing! I don't know how parents get by without it. Today's post is going to be filled with pics of me and my little Luke and talks of how/why babywearing has been such a blessing in my life.

I wore Luke for the first time when he was 4 days old. I had a simple cotton ring sling made by the wonderful Natalie Arsenault, and I wanted to keep my baby close to me at all times.  Plus, due to my horrible 3rd degree perineal tear, I needed to use both hands to help push myself up to get from sitting to standing at all times for the first few weeks. I didn't want to have to hand Luke off every time I wanted to get up. So, learning how to use my ring sling was essential.

I loved my two ring slings in those early months. A lot of people choose a stretchy-style wrap (like a Moby) for their first carrier. I looked into it but found wrapping a little too complicated for this overwhelmed first time mom. And I had a feeling I'd have a fairly big baby (around 9 lbs), and stretchies aren't recommended past 15lbs, so I knew it wouldn't last long and didn't want to waste any money. So the ring slings just seemed like a much better fit for me.

But, as Luke grew, and was more curious about the world around him, he became more squirmy -- and I became more unsure of my virgin-babywearing-self. So I invested in a Ergo.

The Ergo allowed me to do SO much. It gave me the confidence of knowing he was in there properly and wasn't going to fall out. I would literally wear Luke for hours every day. He was a "clingy" baby, or as I like to say, a very "attached" baby; he wanted to be held constantly, and wouldn't sleep without being held. So every naptime, dog walk, housecleaning day, I'd have him in the Ergo.

Oh and when Luke was teething he was even more clingy. I'd stick him in the Ergo and he'd be fine. Teething pads were essential though.

People often asked me how I lost the weight after having Luke --- it was a ton of walking. I'd walk with him for hours to keep him napping, and thanks to the Ergo I could.

I'm stereotyping, but for the most part, Dads prefer soft-structured carriers over slings and wraps. Maybe it's all the straps and buckles... more utilitarian looking. Mitch loves wearing Luke, and I like to call these pics Mommy porn :) Nothing sexier than seeing my hubby babywearing.

Typical Dad -- Liquor Store run with his son

And at their favourite spot -- Chapters :)

Soft-structured carriers are great for active, outdoorsy people. Mitch and I love to go out for walks in the woods, and love snow-shoeing in the winter. 

As my love of babywearing grew, I looked into woven wraps. I have a couple of wrap conversion ring-slings that have replaced my first two ring slings. They are SO supportive, and Luke loves them still... even at 27 months. Even my hubby prefers to take the woven wrap conversion ring slings to wear Luke for quick trips to the store. If I had to choose only one baby carrier a WCRS would be it.

This picture was from our trip to the zoo last year. I'm wearing my WCRS  with the rings on the back with a capped shoulder. Super comfy and easy. It was funny to see all of the other parents pushing empty strollers and carrying their kids so that they could actually see the animals. Meanwhile I was happily hands free and Luke could see everything no problem :)

In the two pics above I'm wearing my WCRS in a simple ruck with rings under the bum (RUB). This is a safe carry for experienced babywearers, but I wouldn't recommend it to newbies. Luke loves it like this though because, unlike the Ergo, he is so much higher on my back that he can see over my shoulder, straight ahead of him, rather than only to the side.

Luke in the WCRS at the mall one day. Rings on back. This pic is over a year old, but whenever we go to the mall he still prefers to be worn than to wander amongst the chaos.

I have fallen in love with full length woven wraps too, mainly because of how supportive they are. I, honestly, would rather put Luke in a wrap than in the Ergo for long periods of time. I can get him in the perfect, custom fit, spot on my back or belly, and never get back pain for hours... even now that he's over 30 lbs. Wrapping is a little tricky but there are some great YouTube videos out there to help. But with a little practice you can get it and when you do you'll see how amazing it can be!

This pic was taken after a 1.5 hour walk outside. Luke was happy and comfy and so was I thanks to my Didymos Jeans Viola Wrap made from 100% organic cotton.

You can't really tell in this picture but Luke had a major goose-egg bump on his forehead, right above his eye. He screamed and cried for what seemed like an eternity. I rocked him, I swayed with him, I did everything I could to try to calm him down. The magic trick that finally made him happy was being wrapped, comfort nursing, and holding onto his favourite toy -- his bow and arrow. Wrapping makes him feel so safe... like he's in a constant hug :)

Wrapping also  solves the problem of a stubborn toddler, who doesn't want to put his snowsuit on, and momma doesn't have the energy to fight him because of first trimester exhaustion and morning sickness,  but they have to go outside to take the dog for a walk so he can do his "business". I wrapped him up, then put my coat on backwards so it kept him warm.  I won that battle :)

Babywearing has been such an eye-opening experience for me. It just "feels right", and has right from the start. Sure I did what most first time moms do, and go out and buy an expensive, top-of-the line, stroller. And I used it on rainy or stormy days when Luke was just a baby and our dog Jack needed to go for a walk. But I honestly can say that I might have used the stroller 1 in ever 20 times I went out for a walk, and only ever used the stroller out shopping once! Here's a fun little challenge for you: next time you're out at the mall on a busy Saturday, look around and see how many parents are pushing an empty stroller (it may be filled with shopping bags), while holding a cranky baby in the other arm. 

I would be remiss if I wrote this post about babywearing and didn't write about safety. Babywearing is wonderful, but make sure you know what you are doing --- don't go out and buy "crotch danglers" like Baby Bjorns as they're bad for your baby's hips and alignment.... and often are uncomfortable for you too. Make sure, that no matter what carrier you use, that your baby's lower half looks like a big letter M... feet low, knees high, bum low .... knees should always be higher than their bum. Please don't ever do a forward facing carry until your baby is over 12 months --- overstimulation is a huge issue! Babies under a year need to face momma, and be able to hide their head away from the chaos that surrounds them from time to time. And always remember the TICKS of babywearing:

So there you have it, a longwinded post about how I use babywearing to save my sanity :) I would love to hear from you on your thoughts and experiences too, so please comment or contact me. Thanks for reading!

As I get ready to welcome a second child into our lives I've been spending some time thinking about what parenting decisions that I am really proud to have made the first time around. Looking back, there are definitely many things I would change, but one thing that I am so proud of is the choice to keep limited, and simple toys in Luke's world. There's a saying that goes, "The more the toy does, the less the child has to do." And, as many of us  know, play is a child's work; so, I want my kids to work hard, not just sit back and let the toys do the work for them. And so, I figure I might as well share some of my favourite toys that I recommend any/all parents to get for their children here on the blog. Today's post is all about playsilks.

We got Luke his playsilks for his first Christmas. He was 8 and 1/2 months old and loved playing peek-a-boo so I thought this would be the prefect present for him. He LOVED them. They were soft, vibrant, and so light. They were perfect for him to learn how to cover himself up and hide, and light enough for him to pull off to reveal himself to us again. Countless hours were spent playing with the silks in the months following Christmas.

Whenever I have babies over for My Smart Hands, baby signing, classes, I always haul out the basket of playsilks and they are always a big hit with the new kiddos. Parents are always asking me where I got them, and commenting on what a great idea it is. 

We have used our playsilks in tons of different ways. For Luke's first birthday we hung them from our ceiling like "streamers" and Luke was in awe! He kept pointing and saying "oooo". Honestly, he didn't care about his other presents because he was so busy staring up at the ceiling. We also used a few to decorate/present the shelf where we displayed all of his presents.  I've seen other parents use playsilks to wrap presents rather than buy wrapping paper --- save the environment, stimulate the senses, use playsilks.

As Luke's grown he's really enjoyed "wearing" the silks. There is rarely a day that passes without the silks being used as some sort of cape  or headgear. With a husband who loves comic books, Luke definitely has been exposed to the world of superheroes from an early age, and he always pretends he's Superman with the read cape one, Batman with the blue, etc. 

Mitch has introduced Luke to the world of knights and archers, and so a good sword fight is not complete without the power that comes from the playsilk cloaks :) Luke is only 27 months old, but as his imagination grows the silks will only continue to be used in new and vibrant ways, I'm sure!

I have three wonderful nieces (ages, 5, 5 and 7) and they always are excited to pull out the basket of silks whenever they are over to visit too. Common themes for them are pretending they are princesses and dancers with gorgeous dresses, or Rapunzel  with flowing long hair, and lots of pirate play too!

Anyway, I love playsilks! There are tons of different places to get them. Many people sell them on Etsy, or you can make your own. Silk is quite expensive, and you don't necessarily need to get "fancy" ones... head out to Value Village or other thrift stores and look for old silk scarves. Personally, I love Sarah's Silks. Yes they are pricey, but the quality is amazing. I ended up purchasing a couple bags of "seconds"-- these are cheaper than the regular ones because they are said to have some sort of sewing or dying error. I never noticed a thing wrong with any of the ones that I received, and plan to order more this way for the next baby.

Playsilks.... used in Waldorf Schools and Childcare facilities world wide. Let your child's imagination soar, by providing quality, simple toys, that allow your child to do the work :) 

Gardening with a Toddler

As a suburban family, trying to live a naturalistic life, planting an annual garden has become a necessity in order to save a little money to eat organic foods. Last year's garden saved us over $500 in organic kale alone! But now that my little Luke is a rambunctious, busy little boy, I have found the task of planting our garden a little more difficult than in years past. Here are the three biggest tips/tricks that I have for anyone who wants to plant a backyard garden while taking care of a 2 year old :)

Firstly, distraction with some natural, imaginative, toys. My little Luke loves to be physical.... he loves to run and jump and tumble and play. But having a few pieces of "equipment" has been a huge help in keeping him occupied for a good 20-30 minutes at a time. We have a handful of different sized tree stumps set up in the back yard. Not a day goes by that Luke doesn't come up with a new way to use them. This year he was doing "Spiderman Jumps" while I planted some of the garden. And, I find it interesting that the next door neighbours, who have a big playset (play house, swings, slide, etc), enjoy coming to our house to play on the stumps too. So, these free-to-us stumps were essential to the success of the garden.

Secondly, build up! This year we lucked out and got the "leftover" cedar log siding from my parents' newly built log home. With these pieces of wood, my husband and his brother built raised beds for us. We don't have enough good earth and compost to completely fill them yet, but every year we'll add to them to eventually fill it up. Anyway, having the raised beds has helped to keep little feet out of the soil of newly-planted seeds and seedlings. The simple barriers/boundaries of the beds have given Luke a way to stop, think, and realize that he shouldn't be in them.

And lastly, make sure you leave some space for your toddler to play in the dirt. This year we gave Luke his own small raised bed, and we call it "Luke's Garden". He can do whatever he wants with this space. He can dig, rake, hoe, etc. We gave him his own seeds to plant .... leftover pumpkin seeds, and beans - big seeds that were easy for him to hold, and see. I doubt anything will actually grow in there as he drowns it when he waters his "baby sprouts", and he stands and stomps and jumps in it on a daily basis. But having his own space to do whatever he wants in, I find, is essential. It makes him feel just like Mommy and Daddy, and it's great sensory play on a daily basis :) 

So there you have it. My top three tricks for finding the time to grow your own food while still looking after your toddler. I highly encourage you to get out there and plant a small garden. It's so rewarding and so educational for your little ones. Plus, it's easy cash in your pocket :)